Water Fluoridation – Oct. 9, 2010

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If you visit the Pharmacy you will find it hard to locate toothpaste that is not fluoridated. Somewhere on the first shelf down by the floor there is one tube of Toms Toothpaste with no fluoride, but it is only one tube. It looks lonely sitting there all by itself. And even Tom offers other toothpaste with fluoride. This shows me how important fluoridation is to my teeth. Everyone knows that fluoride decreases tooth decay and this is the reason for putting into the toothpaste. Inspired by this benefit, our politicians have required that fluoride be added to our water supply. I read that about 69% of the US water supply is now fluoridated. In October of 1998 Governor Pete Wilson signed a new state law requiring fluoridation of any water supply with at least 10,000 customers. Now we can rest securely knowing our teeth are being protected from the ravages of decay with no effort on our part. And we are further reassured that this is true by several pillars of American health care. The support for water fluoridation is endorsed by such reputable and health conscious organizations as the American Medical Association, The American Dental Association, The American Academy of Pediatric Medicine, the Surgeon General of the US. Even the World Health Organization has joined the party. I read that the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has even stated that fluoridation of drinking water is one of the 10 great public health achievements in the 20th century. Wow! Even if we personally haven’t had time to look into the science behind fluoridation, these organizations surely have and we believe in them. They are so sure it is good they are giving it to your children without even asking you.

However, there is a small fly in the ointment. As I peruse the internet I notice that some countries have refused to have fluoride added to their water. This list includes France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Japan, Soviet Union, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Israel and Germany. Israel and Germany? There are a lot of smart people over there and these countries are known for science. Why would they do that if all these great organizations here are putting their name behind it? In India they are actually working to get the fluoride out of the water. Since we are spending money to put it in our water I am sure they are wasting taxpayer money over there. Then I find a disturbing fact. I run across a survey of 81 Nobel Prize Winners done by the Christian Science Monitor in 1954. Seventy nine percent did not endorse fluoridation. I would assume that Nobel Prize Winners know their science, but this survey was done in 1954. So I assume the AMA must have given this consideration by now, and decided these scientists got it wrong. It must be that more recent science has validated its use for mass medication. This stuff is just that great.

When we look at the countries that now prohibit its use, many countries used to allow it and stopped – The Federal Republic of Germany and Sweden in 1971, Japan in 1972, The German Democratic Republic, Czechoslovakia and The Soviet Union in 1990 and Finland in 1993. This means they must have learned something recently that indicates a problem. Unfortunately, this does not support the hypothesis that recent science is pro-fluoridation. Hmmm, I think I know what the problem is. This is politics mixing with science! Whenever things don’t make sense politically, you know someone has their hand in the cookie jar. By looking at how many countries are involved we can see how widespread this problem is. Thank God we do not have this problem in the USA. Otherwise, who would we trust?

But it is disconcerting to discover that the main ingredient in rat poison is Sodium Fluoride, the same stuff they put in our drinking water. I get a little visceral reaction reading this. But wait, I know it is a stretch, but perhaps it is bad for rats but good for us? After all, rats are rats. I have read reports of people who have eaten whole cars, engine and all, so why shouldn’t we be able to drink a little rat poison? Any scientist will tell you that you cannot generalize across species. It is only suggestive. Those sly dogs down at the AMA! They are outdoing themselves thinking out of the box. And really, what a great idea. Here we have something we can put all over everything, all over our food and in our water, and it only kills rats. That is Yankee ingenuity for you. I am so proud. Thumbs up for the AMA!

But then, I read that a number of scientists in our own country, right here in the USA, who used to support fluoridation, have jumped ship. I know there is always a lunatic fringe in any science that will do anything to get attention, so who exactly are these people? To my surprise they are EPA scientists. Robert J Carton and J. William Hirzy, the former and present leaders of the EPA Union of Scientists in Washington D. C., have reportedly called for the EPA to change its Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) for fluoride to zero. It makes you wonder. There are also scientists that object to medicating the entire population with one substance, which is at odds with all rational medical thought. Noted in this regard are Dr. Arvid Carlsson, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2000, and Dr. Peter Mansfield, physician and advisor to the UK on fluoridation (again see Dr. Connett’s perceptive website).

There is good scientific evidence that putting fluoride directly on the teeth is beneficial for tooth decay. This is a maybe (research it yourself on the internet). The problem arises when we start talking about its systemic use. There is clearly a debate as to the scientific validity and toxicity of fluoride use in water. I commonly run across statements that opposition to fluoride use is unscientific, (I have to admit that following science can give you the appearance of being a radical) yet some investigators have made the opposite case, that the use of fluoride is unscientific. Please see the website by Paul Connett, PhD at http://www.fluoridealert.org/absurdity.htm. I suppose the proponents of fluoride use the ambiguity of conflicting scientific studies to defend their position, some studies being positive and some negative. It is the ones that show

clear danger that concern me. For example, there are peer-review studies that show fluoride can damage the thyroid. This makes logical sense as fluoride is a halogen and can substitute for Iodine, also a halogen. Iodine is used by the thyroid gland, as you know.

There is peer-review evidence that fluoridation can damage the bones, a special interest to chiropractors. Studies show that it poisons the osteoblasts, the cells that build bone, putting people at risk for osteoporosis. In India this is already a problem from naturally fluoridated water. And in the US osteoporosis is a problem for the elderly, why make it worse?

There is much evidence that fluoridation causes cancer. This makes logical sense as fluoride causes much free radical damage in the body, a known cause of cancer. Although the National Cancer Institute says this is not true, I wonder if we are reading the same information. I have cited studies below that implicate fluoride in bladder and ovarian cancer. It is also suspected in osteosarcoma, a very dangerous bone cancer. “Burk and Yiamouyiannis completed a monumental research project in 1977 in which they compared cancer death rates in 10 fluoridated and 10 non-fluoridated US cities between 1940 and 1970.” (from http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/index.htm). This chart is best read rotating the page 90 degrees to the right. It is a little harder to read the writing, but it is worth it. This way it best shows the cancer rates going down, and drinking fluoride makes real sense once again. Hey, I mean, if our government officials can do it, so can we. We are capable of thinking too.

Fluoride has been demonstrated to induce neoplastic changes in hamster embryos in culture. It has also been shown to damage DNA, also believed to be a cause of cancer – references below.

A study done in 2010, cited below, found that fluoride also damages energy production in the body, reducing the output of ATP. ATP is the electron holding molecule secreted by your mitochondria, the energy centers of your cells. Without ATP you are finished. But apparently individuals in control of our fate think we should have fluoride instead of ATP. The teeth are that important.

But I am not sure all of this is real science. After all, real science is science that agrees with what we already know, as that is what is really real. I mean, if you think about it, it is just common sense. I think that is why some people think scientists are weird, a bit nerdy, if you know what I mean.

But there are still more studies. When is this going to stop? Studies also show that fluoride increases the absorption of lead, which is toxic to the bones and brain. If this was not bad enough, an engineering report for the city of Bolder, CO, as reported in the Cumberland Times, has noted that the fluoride from China imported to put in the drinking water, was contaminated by lead.

Studies from all over the world have shown that fluoride is associated with loss of IQ in children. As an added benefit it crosses the placental barrier and can injure the unborn child. It destroys memory and discrimination. Fluoride has also been shown to increase oxidative stress in the brain as measured by lipid peroxidation. This means your brain is going rancid, not good. And it lowers several neruotransmitters such as dopamine, nor-epinephrine and serotonin. Not to worry. If they get low enough you will not know you are drinking fluoride. In fact, you will not know anything.

Is your hair falling out? High amounts of fluoride have been shown to be correlated with hair loss. But let’s not get upset about such small things. I am sure many dentists and doctors are bald already, so this is good for a laugh. Unless, of course, it is their wives’ hair.

Fluoride has been repeatedly shown to damage the sexual system. Specifically, it reduces testosterone. Woa! This is more serious! Nobody messes with my testosterone. But there is more. Fluoride treatment brings about a significant decrease in the weight of testis, epididymis, and ventral prostate. The sperm motility and density are also significantly reduced. Studies below. Funny, but I could swear I remember reading about the drop in fertility of men in the newspapers. But, then again, due to the fluoride I am probably not remembering correctly. I also read that the Nazis put fluoride in the drinking water of the Jews in the concentration camps to sterilize them. Yeaow! That is really mean. But wait, this was just done to Jews, so we don’t really know for certain it affects anyone but Jews. Thank God! We have to keep our facts straight here. I am not a Jew myself, so this stuff probably doesn’t affect me that way. In fact, I am sure of it, otherwise they would not be putting it in my drinking water. After all, sex is really important. But I do think we should be concerned about the Jews in the USA. After all, we care about people.

These studies and references are only representative. It would take a great effort to read them all. I feel I know enough. Fluoride is not for me. I know, it is a risky decision. I am haunted by images of those smiling white fluoride covered teeth.

What to do if you have made the same reckless decision as me. It turns out antioxidants such as selenium, curcumin, vitamin C, vitamin E, Co-Enzyme Q-10, melatonin and black tea work well to block its effects. You should also keep your iodine levels up by eating kelp or iodine pills. And then try and get it out of the water you are drinking.